Renowned around the globe, the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1943 and is one of the oldest symphony orchestras in Russia. The orchestra has an enviable reputation for high standards of artistic excellence, imaginative programming, and community engagement. They will be joined by Armenian cello phenom Narek Hakhnazaryan.

About the soloist:
Since winning the Cello First Prize and Gold Medal at the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2011 at the age of 22, Narek Hakhnazaryan has performed with major orchestras across the globe and has established himself internationally as one of the finest cellists of his generation. Hakhnazaryan has earned critical acclaim worldwide, with The Strad describing him as “dazzlingly brilliant” and the San Francisco Chronicle hailing his performing as “nothing short of magnificent”. In 2014 he was named a BBC New Generation Artist and in August 2016 he made his highly distinguished and critically acclaimed BBC Proms debut. The cellist is Artist-in-Residence with the Malta Philharmonic, and he regularly tours with the Z.E.N. Piano Trio with colleagues Zhou Zhang and Esther Yoo. Hakhnazaryan was born in Yerevan, Armenia, into a family of musicians. He was mentored by the late Rostropovich and plays the 1707 Joseph Guarneri cello.